Alaska Airlines Donates to Coral Reef Conservation While Greening its Business

Alaska Airlines is teaming up with The Nature Conservancy to help restore coral reefs in Hawaii. Touting the paper-reducing benefits of its mobile app, the airline will donate $1 for every customer who downloads the mobile app during the month of August. Passengers can rid themselves of the need to print paper boarding passes at the same time as they help rid the Hawaiian reefs of invasive species.

Pledging a minimum contribution of $30,000 the airline’s donation will support the Conservancy’s work in Kaneohe Bay, on Oahu, where two types of invasive algae are smothering the coral reefs. With help from the Hawaii State Division of Aquatic Resources and University of Hawaii scientists, a restoration team is using innovative underwater vacuums called “Super Suckers” to clear the invasive seaweed off the reefs, and then seeding the reefs with native sea urchins that feed on the algae and keep it from growing back.

Once home to some of the highest numbers and greatest diversity of reef fish and coral on Oahu, the bay is under assault from the algae, which forms thick, tangled mats that smother and kill coral. The Conservancy expects to clear the north end of Kaneohe Bay of harmful algae by 2015.

Alaska Airlines wants to become a greener company as it increases the use of electronic boarding passes.

Customers can learn more and download Alaska Airlines’ apps for the iPhone and Android devices at www.alaskaair.com.